


i'm into something good

by salazarastark



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Art Student Robb, Fluff, M/M, Photographer Theon, they both really like james bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-28 22:26:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18214475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salazarastark/pseuds/salazarastark
Summary: Robb asks the cute guy he meets at the Art Institute out, and it's one of the best decisions he's ever made.





	i'm into something good

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TotemundTabu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TotemundTabu/gifts).



> I wrote this fic for last year Theon's Exchange, but I just never got around to posting it here! So with the help of afewreelthoughts, this fic has been slightly edited, and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> While I don't think it was enough of a presence in the fic to be tagged, and Robb is making sure that Theon is fully consenting, there is the implication of Ramsey at the briefest of points and all that entails.
> 
> Title's the same as the "Herman's Hermits" song.

There is nothing in Robb’s mind more soothing, more frustrating, more rewarding, or more difficult in the world than drawing. There is nothing like drawing the same thing over and over and over again, only making small changes, but important ones, chasing the perfect version of the image, and knowing that if you just worked on it a little bit more, you would find what you were looking for.

There is nothing in the world that Robb loves as much and nothing that he hates as much.

He’s sitting in the Chicago Art Institute, knowing that he’s supposed to be drawing one of the Thorne Miniature Rooms, but he finds himself distracted by the man, too gorgeous to be truly human, who is looking at one just a few down.

Five minutes later, Robb has a rough sketch of him, though he doubts that it could ever live up to the man’s beauty. With his long dark hair, his storm gray eyes, and his angular features, he’s going to be an utter joy and a terrible thing to draw.

He’s so lost in trying to figure  the man out , that he doesn’t even notice the man noticing him until he hears him speak.

“Like what you see?”

Robb looks up with a start. The man is now looking at him, his (really fucking pretty) lips are quirked into a lopsided smirk, and he has an eyebrow arched as he looks right at Robb.

“Wh-what?” is the only word that manages to stumble out of Robb’s mouth.

The man nods at Robb’s sketchbook. “I doubt I’m that interesting.”

Robb looks down at his sketchbook quickly, and then back up at the man and frowns. “You are. At least your face is.”

The man’s smirk slides off his face for just a moment. He recovers quickly. “Really?” He asks, moving away from the house and swaggering over to Robb. “What about it do you find so interesting?”

“Your smirk,” Robb says truthfully. “Your jawline, the way your hair is settling. You’re a handsome man.”

There’s a short barking laugh from the man. “Are you serious?”

Robb shrugs. “Yeah. I mean, that’s obvious. You have to notice it everytime you look in the mirror.”

The man moves away from the tiny house display, and swaggers over to Robb and holds out his hand in an unspoken demand. With a small smile, Robb holds out his sketchbook for him to take.

The man looks at his face on the paper, and Robb finds it hard to describe what his reaction is. He itches to draw it, to draw that strange mixture of shock and amusement with a good helping on embarrassment on top of that and then something else, something that had a name but Robb couldn’t say what it was.

The man just stares for a few minutes, and Robb desperately wants to ask him what he thinks about it, but he finds it within himself to not say a word.

Finally, the man hands back the sketch. “Maybe you have a point,” he says, his smile a little more plastered on, his eyes a little brighter. “That’s, um, that’s good. You’re really good.”

“Thanks,” Robb says with a bow of his head.

“My name’s Theon. Theon Greyjoy,” he says and sticks out his hand.

Robb reaches out to complete the handshake. “Robb Stark.”

“So,” Theon says, “you made me look handsome. You  _ are _ handsome.  Can I repay the favor?  Can I take your picture? I’m doing a class and I-”

“Yes,” Robb says with a big smile. “Of course.” Quickly, he flips to another page and writes down his number. Tearing out the page and handing it to Theon, he says, “Call or text as soon as you can.”

“Yeah,” Theon says, his smile now firmer in it’s meaning. “I will. I need to go now, this is always my last stop at the museum, but I will definitely get in touch.”

Robb nods and smiles. “This is always my first stop, and uh, yeah, when you can.”

A part of Robb doubts that Theon will talk to him  ever again , but luckily he’s proven wrong when just an hour later Theon texts “U know The Wall? Wanna meet @ 2 Sunday?”

He’s smiling for the rest of the day, something that Sansa notes when they meet up for dinner later. She smiles as he skirts around the issue of Theon, knowing that she sees through him, but politely lets him believe that he just wants to sketch Theon and have his picture taken in return. She nods and says, “He’s handsome” when he shows her the sketch, and laughs when he mentions how awkward the  goodbye was.

“So, you’re going to meet Sunday?” she finally says, taking the fries right off his plate, the really crispy ones that he hates. “Do you want back up?”

“It’s The Wall on a Sunday afternoon,” Robb says. “I won’t need it.”

Sansa shrugs. “Still. I want to see this guy. You really talk him up for just having met him and spent, what, ten minutes talking to him? It’s kind of romantic.”

Robb rolls his eyes. “You think everything’s romantic.”

“Everything is if you just believe.”

“You’re obsessed with the  _ The Borgias _ . How can you still think that?”

“Do you want me to start my Cesare and Lucrezia obsession again? It’s always trying to bubble up to the surface, I can stop fighting.”

Robb throws his hands up in surrender against that terrifying option. “I’m going to meet him -  _ alone  _ \- on Sunday. If things go . . . okay, then maybe, one day you can meet him.”

Sansa narrows her eyes, thinks it through, and finally nods. “You make it three dates, I meet him.”

Robb scoffs. “Fine. Three dates, you can meet him.”

*

Robb is nervous when he arrives. He’s ten minutes early, and he’s afraid that Theon will be able to see that somehow when he arrives. (He knows that’s ridiculous, but he can’t stop himself.)

Yet, when he sees Theon waiting nervously at a table, clearly waiting for Robb and already having been there for a few minutes, he feels a burst of happiness in his chest. 

Robb has forgotten how nice it is to look forward to someone, to have someone look forward to you. It’s only been a year since Jeyne, and that had ended with them still as friends and amicably, but it had still been hard.

Not that he thought Theon was someone to look forward to seeing, but, well, he could hope.

He heads over to Theon as quickly as he can, pushing past the crowd of people that separates them. Theon only notices him right as he approaches, and the smile on his face makes Robb’s heart beat faster than it had been before.

“Hey,” he says, unable to control his smile. He looks down at Theon’s hands,  which are holding  his camera. “Nice camera.”

“Thanks,” Theon says. “Are you into photography?”

Robb shakes his head. “No, sorry. It’s always been drawing. Where do you study?”

“Nothing to apologize for,” Theon says. “And I teach myself.”

“Really?” Robb says, impressed. “That’s amazing.”

With a scoff, Theon says, “You’re alone in that. Most people say I can’t learn without professional help, though it’s not like I want to  _ be _ professional. For me, it’s just something fun that I also want to be really, really  _ fucking  _ good at.”

Robb laughs at that, though he stops as soon as he sees Theon’s reaction. It looks nervous, and it’s clear he doesn’t see why Robb is laughing, and suddenly Robb is desperate for Theon to understand him.

“I just like that you like photography like that. I remember loving to draw like that and it’s nice. It’s relaxing.”

Theon smiles at that and looks down. “So why don’t you?”

“What?” Robb asks.

“Why don’t you love drawing like that anymore?”

Robb shrugs. “I started to study it. And I still love it. I could never  _ not _ love it. But it’s different. It’s more critical, done with less abandon. It’s going to be my job one day, in some capacity, and I know how lucky I am that my passion and job can be the same thing, but it makes the passion different and I’m not sure if I’m making any sense right now.”

“No,” Theon says. “You are. And yeah, I’m never going to want photography to be job. I’m happy with the one I have now.”

“Which is. . . ?” Robb asks, leaning against the Bean.

“I work as an assistant at law firm. It’s helping me save for school.”

“What do you want to study?”

“Not sure yet. Maybe try everything until I find the one that fits. Or maybe I’ll find it tomorrow. Not sure,” Theon says as he begins to fiddle with different buttons on his camera. “Is there anything you want to do with your degree?”

“ Children’s book illustrator.”

“Really?” Theon says. “That’s fascinating.”

“Thanks,” Robb says. “So what do you need me to do?”

“Just walk around the city with me. I want to figure out how to take good pictures without having someone pose in a position. So we can talk and walk and I’ll take as many pictures as I can, when you least expect it.”

Robb grins. “Sounds great.”

*

They move around the city, Robb doing his best to stop grinning and failing miserably. He’s happy to be in Theon’s presence, happy that Theon wants to photograph  him . He does his best not to pay attention to the camera in Theon’s hands, knowing that the whole point is that he’s not supposed to know when a picture will be taken.

He succeeds only because of Theon. He leads Robb through different conversations deftly, making Robb laugh and making sure his smile stays on his face. It moves from talking about the cases that come into his law firm (“. . . so finally they agree that one will have the snake for the first half of the week and the other will have it the last half, but they still can’t agree about the ferret. . . .”), asking Robb about what it’s like attending the Institute (“So they just started yodeling? That was all it took?”), and talking about his favorite shows (“Look, just watch it. It’s hilarious. Letterkenny, okay?”).

It’s fantastic.

They spend almost the entire afternoon walking around the city talking and Theon randomly taking his picture when Robb least expects it. Theon laughingly refuses to let Robb look at any of them, but promises that he’ll get the pictures when he’s done. 

Robb accepts the deal, happy that Theon is talking about meeting again.

The sun is setting, Robb can see it over the lake, when they end up near Robb’s apartment. Before he can stop himself, he brings it up to Theon.

“My apartment’s near,” Robb says, far too loudly to his ears. “Do you want to  come in ?”

“And do what?” Theon responds, that smirk on his face.

“We can order pizza and watch a movie,” Robb  says , trying his best not to think about the other very agreeable things that they could also do at Robb’s apartment (in his room, on his bed).

The way Theon looks him up and down says that Theon is thinking of them too, and doesn’t seem to find them that objectionable. The look gives Robb the confidence he needs to turn down his street and walk, to know that Theon is close behind him.

Robb is glad that his mother had ingrained the habit of always having a clean house in him, and that Jon and Quentyn are good about keeping the apartment clean as well. He’s seen the apartments of his friends, and he won’t be able to ever forget them. There are some drawings and books on the table, and dishes  in  the sinks. He knows that Jon is going camping with his friends and won’t be back until tomorrow, and that Quentyn is with his family in Santa Fe this weekend.

He closes the door behind Theon and flops down on the couch. “What do you want?” he asks. “Weirwood is really good and five minutes away.”

“Sounds good,” Theon mumbles as he looks around the apartment. “Get whatever you want, I can eat anything.”

“Okay,” Robb says with a chuckle and soon there is a sausage, pepperoni, and mushroom pizza being made for them. Theon has moved to looking at their DVD collection, moving his fingers along the spines of the cases. He stops at James Bond movies, and then taps one. “You know I’ve never seen one of these.”

Robb stares at Theon, mouth open, not sure how one gets to the age of 26 without seeing a James Bond movie. “Not a one?” Robb finally strangles out. 

“Not a one,” Theon repeats. “You said a movie, maybe one of these?”

“Of course,” Robb says, getting up and walking toward the cases. “We have to. There’s no question. My roommates would never forgive me for not introducing someone to the wonder of James Bond.”

With a laugh, Theon moves out of the way. “Okay,” Robb mumbles, looking through the movies, trying to determine the best to start with. “I’m thinking . . . Casino Royale. First of the Craig’s and it won’t take much to catch up for 25 and then we can start with the rest of Bond’s through that.”

He quickly gets it in the player, Theon watching him with amusement from the couch, and presses play as soon as the menu comes up. He sits down next to Theon, and is suddenly struck by how close he is to the other man. “Not even waiting for the pizza?” Theon asks next to him.

“Earlier we start this one, more we can get through later,” Robb answers. “And I’ll get the pizza when it comes.”

It’s not long before the pizza does arrive, and Robb quickly gets up. Theon is engrossed in the movie, which bodes well, and accepts the hot pizza and the cold beer that Robb had gotten out of the fridge without taking his eyes off the TV.

As soon as it ends, Theon is demanding the next one to be put in. “I have to know what happens next. How many Craig movies are there? Can we watch them all tonight? I need to know, Robb, this is very important.”

Robb laughs. And then, before he can even think, leans over, tipsy with the Sam Adams flowing through his veins, and kisses Theon.

It’s incredible. Before he knows it, he has one hand on Theon’s waist and the other in his hair as he leans Theon down onto the coach. Theon has both his hands on Robb’s face, kissing him back just as enthusiastically as Robb as kissing him.

Without really thinking about it, Robb is moving the hand on Theon’s waist down to his thigh, pulling it up and bringing up Theon’s legs. He wants to be closer to Theon, wants to fuck him. 

He desperately, desperately wants to fuck him. But before he can ask Theon about if that can happen, Theon jerks back from the kiss and takes a deep breath. Worry licking at Robb’s brain, he waits for Theon to speak.

For a moment Theon is silent, clearly trying to regain composure, but then he begins to speak. “Not tonight. Not right now. After him, I just . . . I just can’t.”

“Of course,” Robb says, pulling back, the guilt bubbling up inside of him. He hadn’t met to move too fast, but Theon doesn’t seem mad. In fact, he seems far too grateful and relieved at being listened to, and Robb wonders what Theon’s exes must have been like and he hopes they are miserable in their lives right now.

“Thank you,” Theon says. “Maybe another time. . . .”

“Whenever you want,” Robb says adamantly. He leans back on the coach, back in a sitting position. Theon leans in close to him and lays his head on his shoulder.

“I don’t want you to think I don’t find you attractive,” Theon says. “You’re just the first person after him and I don’t want to screw this up, no matter how new this is.”

“I understand,” and impulsively Robb kisses the top of his head.

They sit there for a moment, before Robb gets up and gets the next one ready. When he comes back to the coach, Theon sets his head on his shoulder again and they watch the beginning of  _ Quantum of Solace.  _ Theon watches it just as intently as he did the last movie, but Robb is distracted, thinking about what the next two dates could be.

After all, Sansa said three dates and Robb wants her and Theon to meet as soon as possible.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked the fic!


End file.
